Carding of kapok and like fiber and the production of a fleece therefrom.



A. J. M. SMITH.

CARDING 0F KAPOK AND LIKE FIBER AND THE PRODUCTION OF A FLEECE THEREFROM. APPLICATION FILED AUG.24. 1915.

1,177,903. Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

Adam;

THE.COLUMUIA PLANOGRAPH c0, WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

antenna :r. nna SMITH, or SYDENHAM, Encnann, nssrenon or THREE-FOUBTHS 'ro 'rnnsairnnrnn SYNDI ATE m'la rnn or Lennon," ENGLAND.

CARDING OE KAPOK AND LIKE FIBER AND THE PRODUCTION OEA FLEECE THEREFB-OM.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

Application filed August 24, 1915. Serial No. 47,198.

ham, in the county of Surrey, England, have invented new and useful lmprovements in and Connected with the Carding of Kapok and like Fiber and the Production of a Fleece Therefrom, of which the following is a specification.

' The production of fleece from kapok and like fiber presents difliculties in effecting a smooth layer of uniform depth on the teeth of the wire card of the carding cylinder or drum and in the removal ofv such layer when deposited thereon, which it is the object of the present invention to avoid;

"According to my, invention I propose to effect 'theremoval of the fleece from the bent teeth of the wire'card of the carding cylinder or drum by a reverse movement of such cylinder or drum to that which has been imparted thereto in effecting the deposit or collection of the layer of the fiber thereon, and which so naturally facilitatesthe disengagement of such layer of fiber from said bent teeth. I further prior to the deposit of the layer of fiber upon the teeth: of the wire card of the carding cylinder preferably apply to such cylinder either wires or fine open material through which such teeth project and which constitute a backing above which the fibers are deposited, and by subsequently drawing off which backing the formed fleece will be stripped from said cylinder on the reverse movement thereof. The backing may remain as a permanent attachment to the fleece, in which case it will preferably consist of fine, open, gauze or muslin or similar fabric, or even of fine paper, so that it maybe out up or shaped with the fleece to the form in which it'is required to be used, and will prevent such fleece breaking up Or tearing during its manipulation or in transport. 0:- the fieece may be detached from the wires or fabric constituting the backing by which it has been stripped from the carding cylinder, and if necessary placed upon any other suitable backing or between layers of suitable material applied to its opposite surfaces. Or again one or both surfaces of the fleece after the re moval from the wires or backing might be suitably treated, (such as by a suitable mucilage or the like) to produce a film connecting the fibers in a manner to oppose the breaking'up or tearing apart of the fleece in handling or during the transport. The fibers taken up by the teeth of the carding cylinder in its rotation are broughtinto contact with the teeth of a length of wire card one end of which is held stationary while the other end is free and follows the contour of'the periphery of the drum in its operative direction of rotation, and which bearsthereon so that its teeth effects the uniform spreading out of such fiberand produces the requ1red smooth fleece of the required thickness.

"An apparatus constructed in a suitable manner for carrying my invention into effeet is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of such apparatus, and Fig; 2 a vertical sectionthereof, but with the frame omitted.

In this apparatus 1 is a carding cylinder suitably mounted upon and actuated to rotate in a frame 2, such cylinder being clothed with ordinary wire cards 3 having bent teeth. 1k length of card 4; is also suitably supported on the frame 2 in such a position that its free end follows the contour of the periphery of cylinder 1 against the teeth of the card 3 of which the teeth of said card a bear. The kapok or other fiber to be formed'into a fleece is treated on cylinder 1 in the manner to be hereinafter described, but before feeding such fiber thereto I cause a length of suitable material to be rolled around the periphery of said cylinder with an allowance for a slight overlap. If the fleece is required to be provided with a permanent backing this material may consist of open gauze or coarse muslin, or even thin paper, which the teeth of the wire card 3 will readily penetrate and project beyond.- If the backing of the fleece is to be removed therefrom when stripped from the carding cylinder a series of wires or wire gauze might be employed and be similarly applied to the cylinder 1 so that the teeth thereof project beyond same.

In the case of the employment of a backing of fabric or paper a roll 5 of same may be mounted on frame 2, and the hinged part 7* of the cylinder casing having been first turned back, the'end of such fabric or paper will be hooked on to the teeth of the wire card 3 ofthe cylinder 1 at any suitable point,

so that the rotation of such cylinder will draw off the fabric or paper and causethe teeth of card 3 to readily penetrate through such backing which passes to the root of the teeth as the fabric or paper is applied to the periphery of the cylinder. The action may be assisted if necessary by an auxiliary roll 6 also provided with a card surface the teeth of which intermesh with those of the card 3 of cylinder 1 and between which roll and cylinder the fabric or paper passes. The part 7 of the casing 7 inclosing the cylinder 1 is hinged to pernnt of the roll 6 being applied to the cylinder, after the part 7* has been opened, so that the teeth of the card on the roll6 and those 3 of the cylinder 1 intermesh, the roll 6 being removed and the part 7 of the casing closed when the length of fabric has been applied around the periphery of such cylinder and severed from the length on the roll 5 thereof. The cylinder 1 thus fitted with the fabric or paper and the teeth of its carding surface 3 projecting therethrough is then rotated in the required direction to allow the teeth to take up a small quantity of the fiber which is fed thereto in any desired manner, such as by grooved rollers 8 taking their supply from a traveling band 9 upon which the fiber is deposited. The fiber taken up by the teeth of card 3 from the rollers 8 will be conveyed thereby and brought successively under the action of the teeth of the length of card 4 supported so that one end thereof is firmly held in a stationary position on frame 2 while its free end follows the contour of the periphery of the drum 1 in the direction of its rotation. The teeth of this length of card 4 are also bent, the bend being situated in the same direction as that of the teeth of the card 3 of the drum or cylinder 1, whereby the upper bent portions of the two sets of teeth 3 and 4 co-acting will insure the even distribution and overlapping of the successive portions of the fiber conveyed by the drum 1 upon the teeth of the card of the latter, the rotation of which is continued until the necessary quantity of fiber has accumulated on the drum to constitute the fleece of the thickness required. The elastic or yielding nature of the card backing will insure the part of the length of card 4 which is free to move in relation to the drum to bear upon the fiber brought to the action of its teeth by those of drum 1 with sufficient pressure to produce the desired even spreading out of such fiber and to apply it above the upper surface of the backing 5 which has been previously placed on the periphery of such drum as already described, and to which the backing will constitute a support to enable its removal from the cylinder. The length of card 4 is mounted so as to be capable of adjustment in any direction in relation to cylinder 1.

lVhen the carding operation has been completed by the drum 1 having taken up the quantity of fiber necessary to form a fleece of the required thickness,the rotation of the drum is arrested and the overlapping portion of the backing 5 is seized and'drawn out free of the teeth of card 3. The drum 1 is then left free to rotate or to be rotated in the opposite direction to that previously imparted thereto, and the length of fleece pulled by its backing 5 in the direction to strip it from the periphery of the drum 1, the open nature of the backing readily permitting of such removal from the teeth of the card 3 thereon without offering such opposition as to disturb the adherence of the fiberwhich has been applied thereto.

The layer or fleece of fiber will be found to be applied to the-backing in a manner which will permit of the handling thereof for packing and transport, and its subsequent manipulation to reduce it to the required shape or size for use without interfering with either the continuity or thick- .7 i ness of such layer.

The fleece might however be removed from the backing by which it has been stripped from the carding cylinder and if desired'applied to or between other material with which it is required to employ same, or for permitting the handling or transmission thereof without risk of breaking up or tearing same. In this case the backing may as hereinbeforeset forth consist of wire gauze or even of a series of wires wound around .100 the carding cylinder between the teeth of the wire card thereon and by drawing on one end of which wire cloth, or one set of ends of which wires, the completed fleece will be stripped from the cylinder as it ro- 195 tates in the direction opposed to that in which the fleece has been built up thereon, after which the fleece may be removed from said wire gauze or series of wires and placed upon or interposed between a layer or layers of any other desired material.

Vvhat I claim as my invention, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is c 1. In a carding machine the combination of a carding cylinder and a length of wirecard secured at one end and having a free movable end following the periphery of such cylinder in the direction of it's rotatiomand against the teeth of the card of which cylinder the teeth of the freeend of the length of card bear with a yielding action, substantially as specified.

2. A method of making a kapok bat consisting of applying a web to the carding means, thereafter applying the kapok to the said carding means, carding the kapokand withdrawing the web with the kapok thereon.

3. A method of stripping a carding cylinder consisting of applying a web of wire to said carding cylinder previous to the apname to this specification in the presence of plication of the material to be carded, and, two subscribing witnesses. after carding said material, of withdrawing said wire Web with the carding material A. J. MILNE SMITH. 5 thereon, and thereafter removing said mate- Witnesses: v

rial from said web. J. STUART BATEHAN,

In testimony whereof I have signed my W. J. FERRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

